Combined telephone and push-button.



No. 635,944. Patented Oct. 3|, I899. B. F. SMITH.

COMBINED TELEPHONE AND PUSH BUTTON.

(Application filed Nov. 26, 1897.)

(No Model.)

Qwm m rc mtg 23M Skim/M113 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN F. SMITH, OF BAY CITY, MICHIGAN.

COMBINED TELEPHONE AND PUSH-BUTTON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 635,944, dated October31, 1899.

Application filed November 26, 1897. Serial No. (N0 model-J To aZZ whomit may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. SMITH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bay City, in the county of Bay and State of Michigan, haveinvented a new and useful Combined Telephone and Push-Button, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention pertains to improvements in electric call-bell andtelephone service especially adapted for residences, hotels, or otherbuildings; and the objects of my invention are, first, to provide asimple and effective system combining in one instrument the features ofa push-button to effect the call and a telephone for communication, thedevice being applicable to the present systems of wiring commonlyemployed for call-bells and similar service, and, second, to provide acombined telephone and push-button adapted to be placed in circuit witha battery and an electric bell or annunciator so constructed that thecircuit is normally broken at the telephone except when the telephone isbeing used, thus drawing onthe battery only dur-. ing actual use of theinstrument. I attain these objects by the devices illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical section of thecombined telephone and push-button to an enlarged scale. Fig. 2 is aplan of circuit such as is commonly used for call-bells in residences,showing the application of my invention thereto.

In both views similar letters and figures of reference refer to similarparts.

As is well known, the simple call-bell systern now in common useconsists of a pushbutton or other contact-making device permanentlyattached to the wall of the room, as at a in Fig. 2. From the buttonwires b and b are run through a battery 0 and callbell d,located in anydesired part of the house. In order to utilize this system of wiring forthe purpose of telephonic communication as Well as for the presentcall-bell service, I apply in place of the ordinary push-button acombined telephone and push-button of construction and operation such asto adapt itself particularly to this use.

The combined telephone and push-button is preferably constructed asshown in detail in Fig. 1. An outer casing 1 of any suitable formallowing access to the interior has two contact-points 2 and 2 on itsbase, connected with the wires 1) and Z). A contact-piece 3, attachedt-othe stem of the push-button when the latter is pressed down, completesthe circuit through the contact-points. The pushbutton is returned toits normally-raised position by two conductingsprings 4 and 4:,connected at their lower ends to the contactpoints 2 and 2 and at theirupper ends to an insulating-arm 5, fixed to the stem of the push-button.Atelephone-diaphragmhaving an opening at its center, through which thestem 6 passes, is provided at the outer end of the casing 1. Atelephone-core 7 and its coil 8 are supported by the base of the casingin proper relation to the diaphragm, as in an ordinary telephone. Twooppositely-placed springs 9 and 9 are attached to the bottom of thetelephone-coil and are electrically connected to the ends of the coil,their lower ends when the push-button is raised being normally inelectrical contact with the two springs 4E and 4 before mentioned, thiscontact being effected through the screws or pins 10, by which the lowersprings are attached to the insulating-piece 5. A cam or distancepiece11, of insulating material, is adapted to make or break the electricalcontact between the springs 4E and 9 bybeing slightly rotated by a lever12 and a spring-retained push-button 13. The cam in its normal positionwhen the push-button is out presses the springs apart and breaks thecircuit between the telephone and the line.

The operation of the combined telephone and push-button is as follows:By pressing the button and bringing the contact-piece 3 against the twopoints 2 and 2 a circuit is completed between the battery 0 andcall-bell d, ringing the bell. Releasing the push-button breaks thecircuit and pressing the side button 13 turns the cam 11 sufficiently tocomplete electrical communication through the pin 10' between the spring9 and the pushbutton spring 49, thus throwing the telephonecoil intocircuit. A receiver 6, which may be of the ordinary Bell type, attachedin shunt with the bell (Z, will then be in electrical communication withthe instrument a and conversation may be carried on over the line. Uponreleasing the spring-pressed side button 13 the cam rises and breaks thecircuit.

By means of the device herein shown and described I produce a simple,compact, and efficient combined telephone and push-button that can bereadily applied to existing systems of call-bell wiring.

A feature of the operation of this device is that the fullbattery-current is only used while the call-bell is being rung. Thecircuit is then broken until the side button is pressed and thetelephone-circuit established. While the telephone is in use, thebattery serves to increase the magnetic effect of the cores, andconsequently to increase the sensitiveness of the telephone.

As shown in the drawings, the stem of the push-button passes through ahole in the center of the diaphragm. It is found in practice with thisinstrument that this construction increases the sensitiveness of thediaphragm, and consequently the transmitting power and the receivingpower of the telephone.

The high resistance of the fine telephonecoil prevents any considerabledrain on the battery and prolongs its life.

Although the form of casing shown herein is especially adapted forattachment to the wall in the same manner as an ordinary pushbutton, yetthe spirit of myinvention would still be preserved if the instrumentwere connected with the main wires by flexible wires or other suitablemeans, thus admitting of its convenient use by persons of diiterentstature.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In combination with a telephone structure, a push-button includedtherewith and forming a part thereof; the stem of the pushbutton passingthrough the core and diaphragm of the telephone, together with a cam orequivalent means for holding the circuit normally broken, and apush-button connected therewith for completing the circuit while thetelephone is in use, all substantially as described and for the purposeset forth.

2. The combination with a telephone structure of a push-button forming apart thereof, the stem of the push-button passing through the core anddiaphragm of the telephone; flexible conducting-springs attached to thepush-button terminals for raising the pushbutton and also to completethe telephonecircuit, a contact-piece attached to the stem of thepush-button for completing the callbell circuit; flexibleconducting-springs attached to the terminals of the'telephone-coil forcompleting the telephone-circuit; and a spring-operated cam for raisingthe conducting-spring and holding the telephone-circuit normally broken,substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of twowitnesses.

BENJAMIN F. SMITH. lVitnesses:

G. 13. WILLOOX,

LEE E. JosLYN.

